Fully Fund Our District Attorney's Office and Public Defenders!

Dear Councilperson,

We the undersigned are writing this letter to request that you fully fund our district attorneys and public defenders for the following reasons:

1. Proposed Raises for Police and Firefighters

In the Mayor's proposed budget, members of the Philadelphia Police Department and Fire Department were given raises while both the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office and Defender Association of Philadelphia suffered severe cuts. All public safety organizations need to be funded fully and fairly.

2. Poorest Big City in the Country

Before the pandemic Philadelphia was known as the poorest big city in the country with a 25% poverty rate. There were already sections of Philadelphia with poverty rates over 50%. There's always a correlation between poverty and violent crime. Philadelphia has had one of the highest incarceration rates of any city in the country and maybe the world for the last several years. Over the last two years we've experienced a spike in the number of homicides and in this last year an increase in violent crime.

3. We Are in a Pandemic
 
Since the pandemic, things have gotten much worse. The unemployment rate for the country is now approximately 14%. The unemployment rate for the state of Pennsylvania is approximately 25%. And some estimate the unemployment rate for Philadelphia as ranging between 30% and 40%. The poverty rate has likely contributed to an increase in crime -- some estimating over 50% for the entire city.

Our schools have been closed since March. We are missing this crucial institution in our communities. Our schools are more than schools -- they are community centers, recreation centers, and places where adults are present who help our children. Our houses of faith have been closed since March and may continue to have their buildings closed through much of the summer. They also are crucial places where adults and children interact. They provide safe places for young people.

History tells us that when the unemployment rate spikes and the poverty rate spikes and our institutions are closed or lacking in resources, these problems create a toxic mix for increased gun violence in our community, among other public safety and health issues. We fear that this summer we may see an explosion of gun violence. If that is the case, then we need all of our public safety organizations fully staffed, including our prosecutors and public defenders.

4. Our court system is backlogged!

Due to the pandemic, our court system currently has tens of thousands of backlogged cases, and it's increasing every day. There are people in our Philadelphia jails that were supposed to have jury trials in March that may not have them now until the end of the year. More than ever we need our public safety organizations fully funded. We need a fully-funded District Attorney's Office to prosecute all of these cases and to take on the challenge of the possible upcoming good violence epidemic. We need a fully-funded Public Defender Office because if people can't get representation then the system breaks down.

5. We may have some of the best prosecutors and public defenders in  the country!

Both the PD and the District Attorney's Office's are ranked in the top five in the nation. Attorneys from all over the country come here to practice law because of the quality of training they receive and the opportunity to be on the cutting edge in their specialty. Attorneys out of these offices are recognized nationally for their expertise in the law. Both are led by individuals recognized nationally for their innovation and creativity. In Philadelphia, we often don't appreciate excellence, particularly home grown excellence. Let us not make that mistake with these two offices.

We have to show the same intelligence and fully fund all of our public safety efforts so that we can keep our city safe in these perilous times. Thank you for your consideration.

Rev. Robert Collier, President, Black Clergy Of Philadelphia

Rev. Wayne Weathers, President, Pennsylvania Baptist Convention

Reverend Dr. Donna Jones, Exec. Director, Metropolitan Council of Churches

Dr. Malcolm Byrd, President, Forum Philly

Reverend Jay Broadnax, past President, Clergy Philadelphia

Rabbi Mordecai Libeling, Exec. Dir. Emeritus, Social Justice Organizing Program, Rabbinical Reconstructionist College Staff Member, POWER

Paula Peeples, President the National Action Network Pennsylvania

Rev. Bill Moore, Past President Black Clergy Of Philadelphia

Rev. Dr. Joseph Conner, District Superintendent, West District Church of God in Christ

Rev. Clarence E. Wright, President, Progressive Baptist Convention Pennsylvania

Rev. Will Brawner, Exec. Director, Urban Commission, United Methodist Church

Dr. Damone Jones, Senior Pastor, Bibleway Baptist Church

Rev. Jeanette Davis, CEO, D.I.V.A.S Ministry